1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to animal cages, and more particularly to a birdcage including water and feeder assemblies.
2. Background
In a hurried modern world, pets bring relief and joy to countless millions of people. Among the more popular pet companions are birds. To keep their cherished family members safe and secure, bird owners use birdcages.
One of the most common problems in bird-keeping today is failing to provide pet birds with the environment, which closely imitates their natural environment. For example, housing birds in an undersized cage can lead to all of the worst behavioral problems found in pet birds: screaming, phobic behavior, biting and aggression, and feather plucking. A common misconception is that a cage is a place of confinement. However, a cage is a home and comfort zone, similar to the way people view their own homes. This is where the food is kept and where the familiar waterer hangs. When birds are under stress, many owners may probably notice that the birds are most relieved when returned to their cage. Pet birds typically spend the vast majority of their time housed within these four walls. Not confining birds at all may be extremely dangerous.
Even if the birds are housed in a cage having striking similarities with their natural environment, they still may not be entirely comfortable. The pet owner must provide water and food in a manner suitable to the birds. Questions that must be answered include: Where will the birds get their water? How will a feeder be configured? Thus, it is impossible to provide pet birds with a proper, safe, and comfortable living environment without paying attention to numerous details.
The most obvious consideration when designing a cage is the size of the bird. Another factor that often gets overlooked when looking at cages is that these cages will be occupied by not only the pet birds but also food bowls, waterers and whatever else the owner decides to provide for the birds. These accessories, some of which are absolutely necessary, may dramatically reduce the amount of open space in the cage.
Another important determinant, as is discussed above, is the birds' natural habits. One habit of birds that bird owners frequently find frustrating is that captive birds are very fussy with their food. Typically, birds will peck at the offering searching for the perfect seed and thereby displace the other seeds. At other times, birds will crack a seed and shake it until the husk is discarded, typically out of the cage.
Unfortunately, many known cages are poorly configured to deal with this problem. Thus, the food and other debris often fly from the birdcage and litter an area surrounding the birdcage.
Besides the bird-related issues, birdcages are also an element of interior design within the pet owners home or office and, thus, it is highly desirable for birdcages to be functional but also aesthetically appealing.
Furthermore, the known structures of the birdcage may be complicated and include multiple components that are not easily assembled. Typically, a birdcage is provided with feeder and waterer units. Some of the prior art birdcages have such units integrally provided with a cage frame. Cleaning and refilling these units with water and food involve significant inconvenience for the pet owner. Other birdcages may be configured with removable feeder and waterer units. However, dismounting these units from, and subsequently mounting them back to, the birdcage may not be an easy task due to the configuration of the known feeder/waterer units.
A need, therefore, exists for birdcages structured to provide pet birds with a comfortable environment.
Still a further need exists for birdcages with a structure that is easy to assemble and disassemble in a time-efficient manner.
Yet a further need exists for birdcages with a structure that facilitates easy attachment of feeder and waterer units to the birdcages.